A Three-Fold Tribute to Monty Oum
by SoloRogueStudios
Summary: A trio of short scenes in memory of Monty Oum. We'll all miss you Monty but as you kept telling everyone, we'll 'keep moving forward.
1. Goodbye

**A/N: It's been over a week now since Monty passed away and for some of us it still doesn't feel real. Monty was an inspiration to all of us, wowing us with things we didn't even know we wanted until they were right in front of us. What made Monty's work so special was not just how well done it was but the genuine passion that he put into every project, passion you could feel in your heart just by watching the scenes unfold in front of you. This passion will continue to live on in each and every one of us, his friends, his family, and his fans. For anyone who is still aching from his passing, this is a collection of sad stories but I hope they will help you move on. **

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Part 1: Goodbye

The plane was empty, a featureless white void, a blank expanse yet, somehow one could still recognize where the ground was. A man stood alone in the void; he had black hair, a black coat with belts on the ends of the sleeves, a shirt and cargo pants of matching color, and the occasional belt or chain for decoration. He had a pair of fingerless gloves on his hands and a pair of boots on his feet. He looked around the hollow field and saw that his own features were all there was to look at; he saw that he was alone.

It took a while for him to realize he wasn't alone for very long. Suddenly, someone else had entered the void. It was a beautiful young woman with jet-black hair and golden eyes wearing a red dress with gold embroidery, finished off with a pair of high-heeled slippers made of black glass. She had a sinister air about her and yet, something about this meeting made her somber and sympathetic. Seething malice melted away to reveal compassion usually hidden from the world.

"Hello there." she said.

"Huh?" the man answered. "Oh, uh…hello. I'm sorry who are you?"

"You don't know me?"

"I'm sorry, I just…I don't remember much of anything."

"You don't remember what happened?"

"No, not really. I think I remember being…scared, confused, like…like I didn't know what was happening to me. Everything's just a blank after that. I guess something bad must've happened.

"It's over now, you don't need to feel scared or confused anymore."

"Oh, well, I guess that's a relief. Y'know, I'm sorry, I haven't even told you my name yet. My name is, uh…it's um-"

"You're name is Monty."

"Monty, right, that's me. And you are?"

"Let's just say you made me who I am today."

"Oh, okay."

"Do you want to come back with me?"

"Oh I don't think I can. I'm just…tired, really tired."

"You don't want to leave?"

"I don't think I can. I think I'm just gonna stay here, y'know, and rest."

"Okay, maybe just rest then."

"Yeah, I'm-I'm sorry what was your name again?"

"It's Cinder."

"Cinder, right, your name is Cinder. Kind of a funny name for a girl."

"Yes well, you're the one who gave it to me."

"I wonder why I did that."

"Well, maybe if you think about it, it'll come to you."

"Yeah. I'm gonna rest now, but thanks for coming by."

"Yeah, you rest now, you've earned it."

"Yeah, okay."

"Goodbye." A tear ran down her cheek.

"Weird, I don't know why but, I hate goodbyes." A tear ran down his cheek.

"I know why." She sighed. "Goodbye." She started sobbing. "And thank you for everything." She was gone.

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Inspired by _Red vs. Blue_. Dedicated to Monty Oum, who took the series to the next level with his 3D animations and incredible action sequences. The freelancers have never been as badass. They may stay that way but it will never be the same without his unique flair.


	2. The Reapers

Part 2: The Reapers

The black-haired man clad in a long white coat wandered through the endless white expanse. He was all alone until he came to two figures with hooded capes and mechanical scythes. One was a young girl with black and red hair wearing a black dress, her cape and scythe were red. The other was an older man with black hair and armor, his scythe and cape were also black and he reminded the white-clad man of himself somehow.

"Ruby, Qrow? What's up guys, what are you doing here?" asked the man.

"Hey Monty, we came to see you off." said the red reaper, Ruby.

"Well, I guess you kinda fit the bill." Monty said, gesturing to their scythes.

"Heh, yeah." Ruby said, somberly.

The black reaper, Qrow, remained silent.

The three of them started walking together. They talked about all of their crazy adventures and the ones they have yet to go on.

"And then, and then I'm gonna go flying at the bad guy like woooh-chaaa, and then slice them with Crescent Rose like hi-yah!" said Ruby enthusiastically.

"I know you will Ruby, you'll do great." said Monty.

Qrow remained silent. Eventually the reapers stopped walking causing Monty to turn back.

"Why'd you stop?"

"We can't go any further. This is where we leave you." Ruby said, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Oh, okay. Well, I guess this is goodbye. Take care Ruby, I'll always be with you." Monty said, pulling her into a big hug.

Qrow remained silent.

"What's the matter, no parting words Qrow?"

The black reaper simply shrugged.

"Oh, oh right."

Monty placed a hand on Qrow's chest and a glow passed from one to the other.

Qrow now spoke with Monty's own voice. "Thank you. Thank you for everything you've done for us and everything that's waiting for us in the future."

Monty gave him a silent nod before turning and continuing his walk alone. One could swear they saw him being guided by doves and with angel wings on his back if they looked hard enough. Then, he was gone.

Ruby was now crying. "Uncle Qrow, will he be okay?"

"He'll be okay, trust me, he'll be okay."

Ruby broke into sobs. "Uncle Qrow, will **we** be okay?"

Qrow kneeled down and put a hand on his niece's head. "We'll be fine Ruby."

"B-but, without Monty-"

"We'll keep moving forward. Don't you feel it? We have so many people who will take good care of us from now on."

"Y-yeah, yeah you're right." Ruby dried her tears and clung to her uncle's arm as they left together. "Let's keep moving forward."

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Dedicated to Monty Oum who gave us the fantastic series that is _RWBY_. When I first saw the initial trailer, I didn't know what to expect. Now, _RWBY_ is one of my favorite series of all time. Thank you Monty, for the awesome series and for all of your other hard work.


	3. Fly

Part 3: Fly

A man in a dark-green suit walked through the snowy landscape with cane in hand, the occasional snowflake landing in his tousled gray hair. He was followed closely by a blonde woman in a white blouse and a black business skirt. The mood around them was a somber one and yet they walked with such purpose. The winter had come harshly and suddenly this year but it did nothing to deter them from reaching their destination.

"Professor Ozpin," the woman said, "you know you don't have to do this."

"Yes I do Glynda." the man replied.

"You already have so much on your mind, so much to worry about."

"So, what difference is one more thing going to make?"

"This is different, this runs deep, it's much more personal. You don't need to do this to yourself."

"I said I would go and see it, so I will."

"I know, it's just…I hate seeing you like this."

"Then why did you come with me?"

She took his hand in her own. "Because, you need me."

He gave her hand a light squeeze. "You're right. Thank you."

The two continued to walk, through roads and woods and empty fields, until they finally got to where they were going. They reached the cemetery and began looking around.

"Where exactly is the grave we're looking for?" asked Glynda.

"It should be further in. It'll be among the graves reserved for those who've had a great impact on the world of Remnant, the greatest heroes of our time."

"In that case, it'll probably be right in the middle."

The two continued into the deepest section of the cemetery. At this point the two of them had tensed dramatically. The tightness in their chests and pits in their stomachs continued to build up as they approached the headstone they were looking for. There, in the center of the cemetery, they found a slanted stone tablet on the ground that read,

_ Monty Oum_

_ Thus Kindly I Scatter, Thus Freely I Fly_

Ozpin and Glynda approached the stone with a sense of dread and shock. Even though they had known about his passing, the finality of what they were seeing struck them like a ton of bricks. It was as if all of the sorrow they had ever felt suddenly came flooding out as they looked upon the grave of their dear friend. Ozpin, normally a man in total control of everything around him, broke. He dropped his cane, collapsed to his knees, and slammed his fists into the icy ground. His glasses fell from his bowed head and he cried; for the first time in years, Ozpin cried.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry I didn't…get to…see you…before it happened."

Glynda put a hand on his back to try and comfort him but found herself breaking down as well. Her glasses hit the snow as she fell to her knees alongside her companion. For that moment, their entire world collapsed.

Ozpin spoke once more. "Farewell Old Friend. And thank you for everything."

They stayed as they were for quite some time before they managed to regain they're composure. They helped each other up and looked to the sky, taking bitter comfort in the frigid air drying their tear-stained faces. They saw six crows flying through the air with another crow off to the left; a dark ring seemed to connect them together. Ozpin and Glynda collected their glasses and when they looked back, the dark ring had turned light and the crows were now doves. They stared in awe at the strange phenomenon.

"Professor Ozpin, what just happened?"

"Who knows." he responded while collecting his cane. "Perhaps it's one of life's great mysteries, or perhaps we witnessed our dear friend's last moments as he departed from this world."

The two of them left the cemetery, Glynda clinging to Ozpin's free arm on their way out.

"So, what do we do now?" she asked.

"Now, we have to get back. We have a lot of work to do. No matter what, we need to keep moving forward."

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Dedicated to Monty Oum, a man who put his entire being into his work. _RWBY_ is the only the incredible series that it is because of the passion that you and your team put into it, a passion that can be felt in each and every episode. You'll continue to inspire us for many years to come. Even though you're gone, we'll keep moving forward.

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**A/N: Thank you for reading. I hope you will all keep moving forward and I hope that Monty's creativity has inspired your own. Let's all enjoy the legacy he has left us, the legacy that Rooster Teeth will carry on for him. Let's all keep his dream alive and use our creativity to make others happy. **


End file.
